Wednesday, January 2, 2019

The "Or Else" Podcast Episode 32: "The Ego" Robert Anthony

The newest episode of The "Or Else" podcast is live now and it is special for multiple reasons. Through a big assist from Dick Griffiths II, "The Ego" Robert Anthony is our guest. Ego did not make it to the Or Else studio, but we got the interview recorded on Skype and it is now available in video form.

Ego was one of my first favorite wrestlers on the independent scene and he remains one of the best I have ever seen. He is gold on the mic and in the ring. While he is technically not an RPro original (he was not there for the first show), he was the face of the company and the champ for a long stretch.

On a personal level, he was always cool with me. He was always good for an interesting interview, whether it was at at an RPro show or Wizard World Comic Con. Ego is a big fan of comics, as you could see in On the Beat with Robert Anthony at Wizard World 2014.

On an even more personal level, Ego talked to the teenage son of one of my friends, when he was having bullying issues. To keep it private, I won't mention too many details, but Ego took time to talk to this young man on a few occasions. It made a difference and we all appreciated Ego's effort. Several other members of the RPro family also volunteered to talk to this kid and many did reach out to him. I am grateful for everyone involved.

I told this story in a pre-show meeting back in the day. I felt Ego needed to be recognized. It was one example of what RPro meant to people. C Red's RPro Positive Outreach Program reached and helped hundreds of kids, but there were also lots of individual stories like mine with Ego, involving RPro talent helping others.

The picture below is from one of my favorite RPro interviews. Tommy (Eric St. Vaughn) had just won the tag titles (with Brady Pierce as Body Magic). RPro co-owner Gabe Baron joined the interview early in it, followed by Marshe Rockett and Ego. It was a bit out of character for Ego, in that he often was a bit of a loner. This interview represents Ego at his best.

This interview also represents one of the last real high points in the history of RPro. Things were going great. Everyone was happy. The vibe was electric.

Things would change drastically soon. Billy Corgan left the company and many followed. I didn't think Ego left because of Billy (like so many others did), but you can find out his reasons on the Or Else Podcast interview Tommy and I did with him.

I want to thank Ego for his time, professionalism, honesty and consideration. I also want to thank him for years of entertainment. I also want to thank DGII for facilitating this interview. It was a lot of fun and seems to have opened the door for more former stars of RPro. Stay tuned, because The "Or Else" podcast is getting bigger and better.